Arabic Spells against Menstrual Bleeding in Mandaic Script

The study examines Arabic magical spells transcribed into Mandaic script, focusing on manuscripts from the Drower Collection and other sources. These texts are adaptations of Shiite Islamic amulets written in Arabic and reflect local gilit dialect influences. The article analyses six amuletic formulae aimed at halting excessive menstrual bleeding, which invoke heavenly warrior figures called ‘blood kings’ armed with symbolic weapons of blood. These figures descend to sever the blood flow from afflicted women through divine authority. The formulae include Qurānic verses, Mandaic rubrics, and magical historiolae, blending Islamic and Mandaean traditions. Despite textual corruption in some manuscripts, the study reconstructs the original Arabic sources, offering insights into cultural and linguistic intersections in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century Mesopotamia.